Cleaned Up
by Tine
Summary: How many people can say they've loved - and lost - Draco Malfoy? Harry Potter can. HD slash.


Cleaned Up  
  
Summary: How many people can say they loved - and lost - Draco Malfoy? Harry Potter can. *Obviously this is D/H slash.*  
  
Rating: PG-13. I truly don't think it's much worse than that.  
  
Disclaimer: JK Rowling is the proud owner of Harry Potter. Not I.  
  
Author's Note: Where did this idea come from? I'm not sure. I have a horrible cold, so I got to stay home today. The reason I wrote it is because I know there are people waiting for the sequel to Know Your Enemy. And I'm so sorry it isn't out yet, but rest assured I'm working on it. I hope this makes up for it a little bit. As always, read and review!  
Harry Potter stared in utter horror at the sight in front of him. No.... it couldn't be. A hondsome, clean, happy, non-suffering Draco Malfoy. How was it possible? It had been three agonizing months since the break-up and Draco looked - great. His hair was, as usual, perfect. His clothes were clean and not creased. He was well groomed.  
  
Harry was not any of these things. His hair - if possible - was messier than it had ever been. It looked like it hadn't been brushed or washed in months. (It hadn't). His jeans were faded, torn and dirty. They barely hung onto his hips because he'd lost so much weight and his shirt had an enormous rip in the front. His face was messy, and he'd grown a scruffy beard.  
  
He was - no other word for it - disgusting.  
  
And now, as he watched his charming ex-boyfriend, he felt worse than he had since the break-up.  
  
They'd broken up the night of their graduation. Mostly because their career paths were very different. It had been a mutual decision, but Harry was miserable. He hadn't even dragged himself out of bed since he'd moved into his new flat. When he finally decided to go out, the first person he saw was beautiful, sexy, lovely Draco.  
  
Harry wanted him so badly. Draco sat at a table in Florean Fortescue's ice- cream parlour. He was sitting with.... a BOY. Oh, Harry just managed not to pull out his wand and hex whoever it was. He didn't want Draco to see him like this, but - too late - he did.  
  
"Harry!" Draco shouted, waving. He looked so happy to see him. Harry almost threw up. Draco beckoned to him, and it took all of Harry's self- strength to walk over.  
  
"Hi," Harry said softly. The boy with Draco turned, and Harry saw that it was a kid from school, Blaise Zabini.  
  
"Hello," Blaise said politely, offering his hand. Harry ignored it and instead turned to his former lover.  
  
"How are you?" he asked Draco. The blond shrugged and flashed him a heart- wrenching smile. Harry barely managed to stay on his feet.  
  
"Not horrible. You?" Harry shrugged too, and tried to smile back with as much ease and beauty as Draco. It wasn't nearly as wonderful.  
  
"I'm great." No, I'm not! Harry wanted to scream. I'm in love with you and there's nothing I can do about it.  
  
"Blaise here is helping me with my career." Harry nodded, admiring the nonchalant way he said it. If Harry had spoken about careers, he probably would have burst into tears. "How're Weasley and Granger?"  
  
"Fine," he said in strangled voice.  
  
"Good." Silence. "Would you like to sit with us?"  
  
"No," Harry said, because he knew it was only a few moments before he would begin to cry. "No, I've got to be somewhere."  
  
"Oh," Draco said, nodding in understanding.  
  
"Yeah. But it was great to see you again."  
  
"Yes. Yes it was." Draco grinned. God, I love you, Harry thought.  
  
"Take care," Harry muttered, smiling weakly.  
  
"You too," Draco said cheerfully. Harry bought an ice-cream cone and walked away. He couldn't stop the tears from falling. He wandered through Diagon Alley, strolling in and out of Flourish and Blotts to get a couple new books, Eyelops Owl Emporium to get some bird feed, and Gringotts to get some money out of his vault.  
  
Harry ambled into Madam Malkin's robe shop. Bad idea. As he marched up to the counter, he realized this was where he'd first met Draco. Oh God.  
  
"Mr. Potter," Madam Malkin greeted. "Haven't seen you in a few years. Not since you were much younger."  
  
"Yes. I remember," he said, trying to smile.  
  
"Indeed. Do you need new robes?"  
  
"Yes. I truly do." Madam Malkin nodded and guided him to the back. *He* stood there, with with one of Madam Malkin's assistants measuring him. Heavens above, it was Draco.  
  
"Hello," Draco greeted again. Harry stared at him. "Getting new robes?" Harrry nodded. "Me too."  
  
"Arms up," Madam Malkin said. She measured Harry, and then scurried off with her assistant to find some robes that would fit them.  
  
"How've you been, Harry?" Draco inquired, eyeing the short boys dishevelled features.  
  
"All right, I suppose," Harry muttered.  
  
"You don't look so good." It's because I miss you, Harry thought.  
  
"Well, neither do you!" Harry shot back nastily. A lie of course. He felt as though he had to defend himself, though. Draco shrugged simpy.  
  
"So where'd Blaise go?" Harry asked.  
  
"Had to meet his girlfriend."  
  
"I always thought he was gay." Draco shook his head.  
  
"So...." Draco said, and a smirk suddenly haunted his features, "do you realize how disgusting you look?" Harry started in shock.  
  
"What!?"  
  
"You look like someone's beaten you with an ugly stick. Twice for that matter," he said. Harry narrowed his eyes in anger. This was hugely familiar.  
  
"What makes you think you're so special I have to get all cleaned up when you're around?" Harry spat.  
  
"No no, I think you should always be clean. Evidently, you've not been for ages." Harry crossed his arms.  
  
"Better to look a mess, than be seen with one." Draco's eyes flashed with anger.  
  
"I hope you're not talking about Blaise."  
  
"And if I am?"  
  
"You'll regret it," the blond responded simply.  
  
"Looks like I hit a sensitive spot," Harry said, running a hand through his unruly hair. "You sure he's not gay?"  
  
"I'm not dating Blaise," Draco said flatly, "but even if I was, it would be better to date him, than to date no one at all." Harry considered doing many things. All of which were rather violent. He settled for reaching over and slapping Draco across the face.  
  
"How dare you say that to me!" he shouted. Draco calmly slapped him back.  
  
"I like saying things that make you cringe in pain," Draco replied coolly. Harry flinched. He stood silently for a few minutes.  
  
"Sometimes I really love you," Harry said, and Draco's eyes widened to the size of cantelopes, "and sometimes I truly hate you. It's frustrating because the times I love you occur much more often. Like right this moment, for example."  
  
Harry stopped for a moment to take a deep breath. Draco was listening intently to Harry's words.  
  
"I feel as though I should hate you, but instead I find myself folishly in love with you. I hate myself for it, because that's why I'm a mess. And then I think -"  
  
Draco's lips connected with Harry's, cutting him off mid-sentence. Harry immediately responded to the kiss. It was fabulous. Harry reached up to pull his hands through the hair he'd longed to touch for the past three months. He was vaguely aware of Draco's hands roaming his body.  
  
This was how it should be. In Draco's arms, Harry no longer felt unclean or unwanted. Draco was more than welcome after the many hours that Harry had longed for him. Harry continued to kiss Draco's warm mouth and was rather disappointed when Draco pulled away.  
  
"What does it matter what jobs we want?" Draco panted, clinging to Harry. "What *I* want is you." Harry felt tears on his face. He kissed Draco.  
  
"I've missed you so much." Draco smiled against Harry's lips lips.  
  
"Let's promise never to part like this again. I promise. D'you promise?" Harry stood there staring into Draco's eyes, their hands clasped together. And he knew what his answer would be. He knew what the answer was even before Draco had asked the question.  
  
"I promise."  
  
"Great," Draco muttered, kissing Harry again. They quickly bought their robes and set off through Diagon Alley, hand in hand. They paused once in a while to share a kiss or two, and Draco spoke only after they were in front of a much needed shop.  
  
"Let's get you cleaned up, Harry."  
  
(end)  
  
Feedback is always appreciated. 8-) 


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